Players and coaches stood on the field at Tiger Stadium after the game with their families and friends with plenty of smiles and laughs to go around.

There was much cause for celebration after host Silsbee defeated Orangefield 52-14 in both teams' District 21-3A opener. Friday night was also homecoming for the Silsbee High School.

The team, though, has had to deal with the distraction this week of three players being arrested for marijuana possession, but Silsbee head coach Bobby McGallion made sure the focus was entirely on the game.

"The players came out and were focused on what they were going to do tonight," McGallion said. "It's not something that we sit around and discuss. We went about our business on the practice field and I'm real proud of the way they came out and played tonight."

Silsbee scored the first 21 points of the game and didn't look back. Senior quarterback Patrick Reed ran for the first two touchdowns and found Chris Elam along the left sideline for a 37-yard score.

"Everything that's been going on, we found ourselves as a whole," said Reed, who finished the game with 435 yards of total offense (178 passing, 235 rushing) and six touchdowns (three each passing and rushing). "We started playing as one, no individual stuff."

Orangefield running back Carl Wiley would respond on the next drive with a 46-yard touchdown run to bring the score to 21-7 Silsbee. The Bobcats wouldn't get any closer on the scoreboard.

The running game was effective no matter who was running the ball for Silsbee on Friday night. Sophomore Sedrick Spearman, who started in place of Floyd Spearman, finished with eight carries for 67 yards.

"He's been practicing very well," McGallion said about Spearman. "Some of the limited time in games, he's done well. So it doesn't surprise me with the way he ran tonight."